Electrical plug and socket connector having contacts carried by resilient insulation



y 1956 E. A. SPRIGG 2753,534

ELECTRICAL PLUG AND socxm CONNECTOR HAVING CONTACTS CARRIED BY RESILIENT INSULATION Filed April 25, 1951 ILIIII- ELECTRICAL PLUG AND SOCKET CONNECTOR HAVKNG CONTACTS CARRIED BY RESILIENT INSULATHQN Edward A. Sprigg, East Orange, N. J., assignor to Breeze Corporations, line, Newark, N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey Application April 25, 1951,Serial No. 222,853

3 Ciaims. (Cl. 339-59) This invention relates to electrical connectors, such as are used to join a plurality of conductors. It is well known to provide a connector having male and female contact members, which are capable of being assembled so as to unite a plurality of leads. Presently known structures of this type, however, are susceptible to failure because of disorientation of the plug and contact members due to excessive usage. The result of said disorientation is that the connector cannot be assembled, or if assembled, requires an undesirable amount of manipulation.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a connector in which the contact members will maintain their orientation, despite hard usage.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a connector in which the contact bearing members will be reinforced.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a connector having contact aligning members therein which are permanently incorporated within the connector plug.

The invention consists of the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as herein illustrated, described and claimed.

in the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, is illustrated one complete form of embodiment of the invention, in which drawings similar reference characters designate corresponding parts. and in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a complete embodiment of an electrical connector, in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the male member of the connector, shown in Figure 1, with certain interior portions indicated by dotted lines.

Figure 3 is a vertical section of the female portion of the connector, shown in Figure l, with internal portions indicated by dotted lines.

Figure 4 is a cross-section of the male member shown in Figure 2, taken on line 4-4, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-section of a female member, shown in Figure 3, taken on line 5-5, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, it indicates a two part conductive shell member adapted to be coupled by a ferrule Ill into an electrical shielding structure, as shown in Figure 1. A dielectric plug 12 is carried within the right hand or male portion of the connector, and a dielectric plug 13 is carried within the left hand or female portion of the connector. Each of the plugs 12 and 13 is provided with one or more horizontal bores 14 within which are carried male contact members 15 and corresponding female opposed contact members 16.

The respective male and female members i5-1t6 are secured to the ends of leads 17 in the well known manner. The male contact member 14 is provided with an enlarged shoulder 18 at the front thereof. A dielectric rigid support member i9 is carried within the body 12 of the 2,753,534 Patented July 3, 1956 male portion of the connector at a point adjacent the enlarged shoulder 18 of the contact 15.

The support member 19, best shown in Figure 4, is provided with bores 20 in register with the bore 14 to accommodate a contact member 15 therein. One or more bores containing one or more contact members may be employed as desired, within the spirit of the present invention. The support member 19 is preferably molded within the body 12 of the connector, and the contact member inserted therein after the lead 17 has been secured to the said contact 15.

The rigid support member 19 serves to secure the male contact member 15 by reason of the bearing surface between the bore 20 of the support member 19. and the shoulder lid of the contact member 15. The prongs 21 of the contact 3.5 are therefore maintained in alignment throughout the life of the connector.

The female portion of the connector is similarly provided with a rigid support member 22. This support member 22 is molded within the body 13 of the consector, in a manner similar to that previously described in connection with the member 19. The female support member 22 is provided with a plurality of bores 23, best shown in Figure 5, which correspond in number and location to those provided in the male portion of the connector. The female contact member 16 when inserted within the body 13 of the connector, assumes a position wherein the extending prongs 24 at the forward end of the contact to lie within the bore 23 of the support member 22.

As a result of this structure, the prongs 24 are restricted as to the amount which they may be opened, either as a result of assembling the connector, or during electrical tests wherein probes are used to determine the location or condition of various electrical leads. The diameter of the bores 23 is of a size which will restrict the lateral limit of travel of the prongs 24. By limiting the amount that the prongs 24 can be sprung, the quality of the electrical connection which is dependent upon the wiping contact of the prongs with the pins 21 is insured.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there has been provided an electrical connector in which the operating life and efficiency have been greatly prolonged by reason of the provision of rigid support members which are adapted to guide and control the contact elements carried within the said connector.

While the connector shown in the drawings is pro vided with an electrically conductive shell for the purpose of radio shielding the contact elements, it is within the purview of the present invention to provide a connector having rigid support members therein, for the herein described purposes, which connector may not require the radio shielding shell.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. An electrical connector comprising, a resilient first dielectric plug, a piurality of bores provided in said first plug, a resilient second dielectric plug, a plurality of bores in the said plug, a male contact member carried within each of the bores in the first plug, an enlarged shoulder on each of said male contact members, a female contact member carried within each of the bores in the second plug, said contact members being adapted to be coupled to form electrical connections and a rigid dielectric support member within the body of each of the plugs adjacent to, but spaced from, the resilient meeting faces of the plugs and restricting the movement of each of said contact members, the enlarged shoulder of said male contact members being receivable within the rigid support member.

2. An electrical connector comprising, a resilient first dielectric plug, a plurality of bores provided in said first plug, a resilient second dielectric plug, a plurality of bores in the second plug, a male contact member carried Within each of the bores in the first plug, a female contact member carried within each of the bores in the second plug, said contact members being adapted to be coupled to form electrical connections and a rigid dielectric support member within the body of each of the plugs adjacent to, but spaced from, the resilient meeting faces of the plugs and restricting the movement of each of said contact members, said dielectric support member within the body of the female contact receiving plug having provided therein plug receiving bores of a diameter equal to the desired limit of travel of the contact member therein during coupling.

3. An electrical connector comprising, a resilient first dielectric plug, a plurality of bores provided in said first plug, a resilient second dielectric plug, a plurality of bores in the second plug, a male contact member carried within each of the bores in the first plug, an enlarged shoulder on each of said male contact members, a female contact member carried within each of the bores in the second plug, said contact members being adapted to be coupled to form electrical connections and a rigid dielectric support member within the body of each of the plugs adjacent to, but spaced from, the resilient meeting faces of the plugs and restricting the movement of each of said contact members, the enlarged shoulder of said male Contact members being receivable Within the rigid support member, said dielectric support member within the body of the female contact receiving plug having provided therein plug receiving bores of a diameter equal to the desired limit of travel of the contact member therein during coupling.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,897,829 Watts Feb. 14, 1933 1,912,147 Kaefer May 30, 1933 1,965,594 Hubbell July 10, 1934 2,183,651 Langston et al Dec. 19, 1939 2,379,942 Webber July 10, 1945 2,383,926 White Aug. 28, 1945 2,421,155 Miller et al. May 27, 1947 2,563,762 Uline et al. Aug. 7, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 693,052 Germany July 1, 1940 

